Chapter 160: The Promise × The Next One
Kurapika won… but he also lost.
Chrollo was dead ...
yet after Kurapika's chains pierced his heart,
just as they had with Uvogin in the original story,
Chrollo showed neither fear nor panic.
Instead, he said something to Kurapika ...
but Haze was too far away to hear it.
He only saw Kurapika's face freeze,
and after executing the leader of the Phantom Troupe,
the boy fell to his knees,
hands covering his face,
struggling to hold back his tears.
Whatever Chrollo had said to him
had cut deep.
Even in death, Chrollo had seen straight into the weakness of the boy's heart ...
and his words only added another layer of pain
to Kurapika's already tragic memories.
This… was the Spider.
This was the Phantom Troupe.
The original members of the Troupe all carried this pure will.
Uvogin had it ...
and so did Chrollo.
Meanwhile, David had calmed the mafia members
and explained everything.
The ruthless Phantom Troupe had infiltrated the banquet
and assassinated the Ten Dons.
The blond youth who killed their leader was Kurapika,
an employee of the Field family.
In other words ...
thanks to the Field family's experts,
the Mafia had avoided what could have been a humiliating disaster.
The four Shadow Beasts backed up David's story,
confirming every word.
That made it perfectly reasonable for David
to claim control over all six continents.
The remaining Mafia bosses exchanged glances
but dared not object.
They knew something wasn't right,
but the Shadow Beasts before them
clearly obeyed the Field family's commands.
Anyone who spoke up would not live long.
And besides ...
given the Field family's power and reputation,
they were the most capable choice to take charge.
Not only had the Ten Dons perished,
but their corporate leaders and family heirs had died as well.
Once that news spread,
the underworld would change forever.
No one was pleased.
Though many of the higher-ups had died,
the smaller families still retained influence ...
and without leaders,
ambition would soon boil over.
Who wouldn't want to rise?
The Republic of Padokia was Field territory…
but beyond that continent,
their influence grew thin ...
the emperor's power did not reach far.
And from now on,
new powers would sprout like mushrooms after rain.
It remained to be seen
how the Field family would respond.
Soon after, the mobsters began cleaning up the palace.
Kurapika stood motionless before Chrollo's corpse,
feeling no joy in vengeance ...
only deeper sorrow.
A few well-dressed gang members approached,
glancing at him briefly before taking Chrollo's body.
They planned to photograph it,
keep it as a trophy,
and even parade the remains of the Spider's leader
to the public.
To the Mafia,
death was only the beginning of humiliation.
They needed the world to see
what happened to those who crossed them ...
and to make the name of the Field family echo louder than ever.
A warning to all.
"Boss!"
Several gangsters hurried up to Haze and Illumi,
glancing at Hisoka's body on the floor.
They didn't recognize Haze,
assuming he was another Field operative,
and addressed him respectfully.
They gestured to take Hisoka's body away and burn it.
"Keep that one for now," Haze said casually.
"Yes, sir."
The men nodded and went off to deal with the others.
"Hmm… he's dead."
"Yeah, I watched him die with my own eyes.
Should I take a photo and send it to them?"
Nearby, Illumi was on the phone ...
clearly talking to Silva and Zeno.
Chrollo was their target.
Now that his death was confirmed,
there'd be no refunds.
After a few minutes, Illumi hung up,
then turned to Haze.
"Mission complete. I'm leaving."
Just then,
a boy in a black kimono appeared quietly from the shadows ...
holding a paper fan,
his face delicate like a porcelain doll.
It was Kalmod Zoldyck,
the youngest of the family.
He approached his older brother,
gazing curiously at Haze ...
this was his first time seeing him in person.
When Haze had visited Kukuroo Mountain years ago,
Kalmod hadn't been there.
"Can't you wait a bit longer?"
Haze asked with a grin.
"Hmm…"
Illumi thought for a moment, then said bluntly,
"To be honest… he's already dead, isn't he?
I know post-mortem Nen can do strange things…
but in his condition,
if he had a chance to come back,
he wouldn't have waited this long."
"Goodbye."
With that, Illumi waved,
and both brothers disappeared ...
moving like black lightning into the distance.
Glup.
Moments after they left,
Haze heard a faint gurgle.
He looked down ...
a small bubble of blood rose from Hisoka's mouth.
Breathing.
That meant… life.
The next instant,
the "dead man" in the pool of blood
suddenly sprang up,
leaping more than a meter into the air.
Hisoka's face was unrecognizable ...
a bloody mess of shattered bone and torn flesh.
He looked like a demon reborn,
his eyes fierce,
his aura wild and destructive,
ready to obliterate everything nearby.
Haze, still crouched on the floor, simply yawned.
Not surprised in the least.
He waved calmly.
"Relax. No enemies here."
Hearing the familiar voice,
Hisoka snapped back to awareness ...
but couldn't speak;
the weapon lodged in his throat still blocked his voice.
He could only stare at Haze.
"How pathetic," Haze said with a smirk.
"A completely one-sided defeat.
You got played."
Hisoka laughed.
A guttural, broken sound.
The blow from Chrollo had destroyed his features ...
only his eyes and mouth still looked human.
Ignoring Haze's teasing,
Hisoka reached for the splintered wood stuck in his neck.
With a soft plop, he pulled it out.
No blood gushed ...
only a dark, hollow hole remained.
Then, tearing a strip of cloth,
he used his Nen to manipulate texture and weight,
covering the wound seamlessly.
When he finished,
his skin looked eerily lifelike again.
He lifted his finger,
and his Nen traced two glowing words in the air:
Where is he?
Haze shrugged.
"He cleaned up your mess.
Chrollo's dead, and they took his body.
If you want to vent your anger,
you'll have to chase the corpse."
Dead for real?
Hisoka's aura flickered with the question.
"Yeah," Haze said.
"He died differently from you.
No chance of revival."
He had already collected Chrollo's soul
and the black mist it had become.
Tonight's "game" had given Haze quite the haul ...
and quite the show.
Doesn't matter…
Hisoka glanced at Kurapika in the distance,
still kneeling silently.
Machi?
"I let her go," Haze replied.
"She shouldn't be far ... probably went to find Uvogin and Nobunaga."
Zas.
Without another word,
Hisoka vanished ...
his battered body moving faster than ever before.
Not even a thank you.
Haze chuckled softly.
He'd noticed long ago
that Hisoka's bond with Machi
was unlike anything he shared with the other Spiders.
Would he go after Uvogin and Nobunaga next?
Possibly.
But this battle had changed Hisoka's Nen.
It had evolved ...
just as it had when he completed Netero's high-difficulty mission.
If nothing went wrong,
Hisoka would soon reach the level of a Subworld Hunter.
But with Chrollo dead…
who would be his next target?
Haze rose slowly and walked toward Kurapika.
Hisoka wasn't one to sit still.
But Haze knew ...
he wouldn't be next.
Hisoka wasn't that foolish.
There was someone else, though ...
someone who had always drawn Hisoka's attention.
Illumi.
In the original story,
the two shared what was called a "marriage pact."
In truth, it was a vow ...
a promise.
To reach one another
through their Nen.
In that story, Haze recalled,
their outcome had remained unresolved ...
only that they boarded the Black Whale,
the great ship of the Kakin Empire,
bound for the Dark Continent.
Based on all he'd seen and sensed,
Illumi was the more likely to lose.
And in this world…
to lose meant to die.
That thought intrigued Haze.
Because it wasn't just Hisoka who had changed.
That man, Illumi,
must have changed as well.
Their fates had diverged ...
and together,
they pointed toward something unknown.
(End of Chapter)